________________
JUNE, 1909.]
A BALLAD OF THE SIKH WARS.
Qissa II. 6.
Charli hakuân Sâhîbân: tûn âkhe lag.
Paindâ karna be rât din, ja pabrunchiň jab. Variâe vich Multân dé, pl kaif sharâb. Kila kacheriyan baithakân. Tûn vekhin raj.
Vadh kitoson takre do tote had.. Ghatyar vich Multân de dhâḍhâ adhrajja. Kila diwâhîn bathin apne; hun lagdi lajj.
Maut manhiyân sir te: larâi bhaiye phab.
7.
7.
Muhammad Bakhsh sipâhî vich kidile muñh Muhammad Bakhsh, the soldier, hid his face with dhari pag. his turban in the Fort (?)7
Us kadhi dhrûh miyân vichon; alimbâ ag,
He drew his sword from its scabbard and lit the fire.
He split the bone into two pieces (?) He burst into Multan with great violence.
8. Dhrah peyâ Multan vich: do mare lât. Itbit te khabaran pahunchiyân vich Bannû Tâk. Dere vich Multân de & hoi i nach,
9.
Bahroń likht Sher Singh; khatt andar ghale :"Assin varain kile vich, dewan as nun jhale." "Tusân mâryâ Râjâ te, Sher Singh, visa kabri gale ?"
Janji ditthe mânjiyân; kar milaf thile,
175
Part II.
6.
The Sâlibs set out on their march, as I will relate to you.
Travelling night and day they arrived quickly. They entered Multân and drank spirits and wine. They made forts and courts. You know their (way of) rule."
He took the fort with his own hand; now shame is upon him.
Death came upon his head: in the fight was he destroyed.
8.
The sword fell upon Multan and there was violence.
The news came to Edwardes10 in Bannu and Tank.
In the camp at Multan this dance took place. 9. From withont Sher Singh wrote a letter and smuggled it inside:
"We are going into the fort: give us support. "You killed the Raja, Sher Singh: who can trust your word ?"
The boatmen saw the procession and went to meet them.11
Tis din mardâ vich Multân de lakh paundus pale. On the day that Multan was taken, they found Lakhs of treasure,13
• Allusion to the arrival of Vans Agnew and Anderson at Multan.
These phrases are obscure.
The reference here may be to a story of the siege, when MacMahon, a British volunteer, out down the leader of the defending party, a powerful' Sikh, in the presence of Sir Henry Lawrence. He killed him with one blow which divided his head. Edwardes, A Year in the Panjab, Vol. II, 669, 783.
• Reference to the deaths of Vans Agnew and Anderson.
10.Itbit means Sir Herbert Edwardes, being an attempt to pronounce both names.
11 Allusion to the number of canals and water-courses about Multan.
13 Sawan Mall, Mal Raj's father, had been Diwan of Multan for 23 years and left an enormous hoard of money, to which his son succeeded.
